Southern Black Eyed Peas

Cooking tutorial

Holy Words

Southern Black Eyed Peas

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried black eyed peas
• 1 smoked ham hock (or 1/2 pound smoked turkey wings)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, for a little kick)
• 6 cups water (or chicken broth for more flavor)
• 2 tbsp butter
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. 1

   Sort through the dried peas and pick out any stones or shriveled peas, then rinse them good under cold water in a colander.

2. 2

   In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the ham hock (or turkey wings) and 6 cups of water or broth, then bring it to a boil over high heat.

3. 3

   Add the rinsed black eyed peas, diced onion, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaf, black pepper, seasoned salt, and cayenne if you're using it.

4. 4

   Bring everything back to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for about 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes or so.

5. 5

   Check the peas after about an hour and a half—they should be tender and creamy with a little bit of liquid left (add more water if they're looking dry).

6. 6

   Once the peas are tender, take out the ham hock, pull off any meat, chop it up, and stir it back into the pot.

7. 7

   Stir in the butter, taste, and add more salt if needed, then remove the bay leaf before serving hot.

8. 8

   Let the peas sit for about 10 minutes before serving so the flavors can settle in real nice.

Pro Tips

• ★No need to soak black eyed peas overnight—they cook up just fine without it and keep their shape better.
• ★If your peas are breaking apart too much, you're stirring too hard—just give them a gentle stir to keep them whole and pretty.